From Spend to Strategy: A Comparative Look at the ROI-Driven Marketing Mindset in the Digital Age

Abstract

The shift toward an ROI-driven marketing mindset has transformed marketing from a cost center to a strategic investment, leveraging data analytics, customer-centric strategies, and agile adaptation. This research examines the theoretical foundations of return on marketing investment (ROMI), customer lifetime value (CLV), and cross-functional alignment between marketing and finance. Through case studies of Amazon, Microsoft, Mayo Clinic, JPMorgan Chase, and Verizon, the study demonstrates how organizations across sectors - e-commerce, healthcare, finance, and telecommunications apply ROI-driven principles to achieve measurable outcomes. The research also extends these insights to tourism marketing, emphasizing the role of digital strategies in addressing industry-specific challenges such as demand volatility. As a key contribution, the study introduces the Strategic Adaptive Marketing Investment Optimization (SAMIO) framework, a holistic, approach that provides a sophisticated methodology for conceptualizing and optimizing marketing investments in complex, dynamic business ecosystems.